A question for mothers of girls

kactus's picture
words by kactus posted February 17, 2006 - 1:47pm

When talking to your daughters about their vaginas, what do you call them? I'm curious from reading a thread over at feministe about the Vagina Monologues and there just seems to be so much anxiety about one simple word.

I've used various euphemisms and I've used the word vagina when talking to Ashanti. Some of the euphemisms: privates, booty, chocha, chochita, cooch, cat. Does that seem silly? I should mention that she doesn't respond negatively or positively to one word over the other. I'm just glad that she's not at the age yet where hearing her mom talk about body parts makes her go "ick!"

*cross-posted at Super Babymama


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HereticChick's picture
I taught my girls that it
Comment by HereticChick posted February 18, 2006 - 1:16am

I taught my girls that it was their vagina. I never balked from the word. They knew all the proper terminology for their anatomy.
On another note: my friend taught her 3 year old boy the proper terms for his anatomy. She got a call from his preschool teacher one day because he was telling other children that he had a penis! The school teacher was more upset about the fact that he actually KNEW the word penis. LOL

In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman."
'


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everything "down there"
Comment by celestialmaven posted February 18, 2006 - 1:39pm

I'm a big fan of words, and while I think it's important for my daughter to know the proper/medical terminology, I'm afraid it would stunt her vocabulary to force her into latin derivative-land. Words need to be treasured, and in many cases, re-claimed and re-defined. Besides, sometimes it's easier to talk about the coochie than to try to explain the difference between labia minora and labia majora without props (I've internalized enough of my own mother's shame to shy away from such things... and I'm ok with that).

Oh, and speaking of V-day, I auditioned for the Vagina Monologues once. I believe in and support it, but when it came to saying "pussy" in front of a crowd'

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kactus's picture
lol
Comment by kactus posted February 18, 2006 - 2:53pm

"down there"--I've been guilty of that. My friend Kesha uses the word "potatoes"--go figure.

The one word I can't get behind that some feminists have tried to reclaim is "cunt." I hate it, I think it's ugly, and it has too many horrible, horrible associations for me. Anybody else feel the same way? And one of my best friends uses it all the time, and when I try to tell her I hate it I just get a lecture on why cunt is a good word and we just hate it because it's been abused by the patriarchy. She may be right but I don't care--I still hate it. I cringe when I hear it.


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I have a friend who feells that way...
Comment by Morgaine Swann posted February 20, 2006 - 4:52am

because her brother used to say it to their mother all the time. I can understand that.

I love the word, myself. It is truly powerful. I've never felt diminished by words. Calling me a girl is fine, I call men boys all the time. Cunt is used to try and take our power away, but it always told me just how much power we have.

I think a child should know the proper words, but then a little nickname is ok to go along with it. The main thing is not to make a big deal of it.

Support the Women's Autonomy and Sexual Sovereignty Movements

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